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Today Catholics, Americans, the Irish, and people around the world celebrate the feast of Saint Patrick.
On the surface, we may associate this day with pre-COVID parades, dancing, Guinness, soda bread, and even the Chicago river dyed green.
But behind the feast is the remarkable story of a man whose life and legacy still speaks to us today.
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When he was a boy, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery. He spent the next several years suffering terribly from hunger and the cold.
Eventually, he escaped and made his way back to Britain, where he entered the seminary and became a priest for 20 years.
One night Patrick had a dream. A voice with an Irish accent pleaded with him, “We appeal to you, to come and walk among us.”
He knew the call came from the Lord, so he returned to Ireland a free man.
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Imagine the courage it took Patrick to return to the land that once enslaved him. But off he went, spending the final 28 years of his life spreading the Catholic faith.
With the help of his friends and the grace of the Holy Spirit, Patrick converted an entire nation. Today 90% of Ireland identifies as Catholic.
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Imagine what this parish – and the Church at large – can do if we embrace Patrick’s courageous spirit, and share our faith with others, just one person, one day at a time.
Together, we will fill these pews; we will worship God; and we will build a strong community of faith.
Saint Patrick, pray for us!
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